City of Hope and Huntington Health Oncologists Join Free Cancer Care Panel in Sierra Madre

A lymphoma researcher and a Pasadena surgical oncologist will sit across from cancer patients next month — not in an exam room, but in a nonprofit’s community space, for a conversation about the future of cancer care.

Cancer Support Community Greater San Gabriel Valley, which was founded in Pasadena in 1990 and now operates from Sierra Madre, will host a free Connections Open House on Monday, May 18, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at 331 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. The evening will feature a panel discussion on the future of comprehensive cancer care with Dr. Christina Poh of City of Hope and Dr. Ioannis Konstantinidis of Huntington Health, the Cedars-Sinai affiliate based in Pasadena. The event marks National Cancer Research Month.

Poh is an associate clinical professor in the Division of Lymphoma at City of Hope’s Duarte campus and directs the institution’s T-Cell Lymphoma Program. She joined City of Hope in 2025 after leading the T-cell lymphoma program at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, according to City of Hope’s physician directory.

Konstantinidis is a board-certified surgical oncologist who practices at Huntington Colorectal Surgeons on Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena. He specializes in pancreatic, hepatobiliary, and stomach cancers and completed a Complex General Surgical Oncology fellowship at City of Hope, according to Huntington Health’s physician directory.

The panel will address advances in treatment, multidisciplinary care, and the importance of meeting the emotional and social needs of people facing cancer, according to a press release from the organization.

“In order to receive stellar comprehensive cancer care, you’ve got to take care of the emotional side of facing cancer — the anxiety, stress, and fear,” Patricia Ostiller, chief executive officer of CSCSGV, said in a 2024 interview with the Pasadena Weekly. “Where else can you go and ask a doctor questions at no charge for these topics that directly affect your life?”

The organization provides more than 15 weekly and monthly support groups and over 100 monthly educational workshops and healthy lifestyle classes, all at no cost, according to the national Cancer Support Community’s affiliate page. It began as The Wellness Community–Foothills in Pasadena, became Cancer Support Community Pasadena in 2009, and moved to its current Sierra Madre location in 2023, according to the organization’s website.

National Cancer Research Month, observed each May, was initiated by the American Association for Cancer Research to highlight the role of research in advancing treatment. Approximately 18.6 million people in the United States are cancer survivors, according to the AACR.

The Connections Open House is free and open to cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, families, and healthcare professionals. The evening includes the panel, tours of CSCSGV’s facility, networking, and light refreshments. Free parking is available in the lot adjacent to the building.

RSVP at cancersupport.link/openhouse. For more information, contact CSCSGV at (626) 796-1083 or info@cancersupportsgv.org.